Components: Off-Grid Solar System

Necessary for an off-grid solar system (in order):

1. Mounting platform of your choice
2. Solar Array
3. Charge Controller
4. Bank of Batteries
5. Meter (optional, but invaluable for monitoring your batteries’ charge)
6. DC Disconnect
7. Inverter
8. Lots of Wire

Components: Grid-Tied Solar System

These components assume that you are building a grid-tied wind system without batteries.

1. Mounting platform of your choice
2. Solar Array
3. DC Disconnect
4. Grid-Tie Inverter (converts power to AC, but also keeps it “in phase” with the utility company’s system)
5. Lots of Wire

Components: Battery-Backed Solar System

This differs from an off-grid system in that you are still connecting to the grid, but also creating the backup of a battery system.

1. Mounting platform of your choice
2. Solar Array
3. Charge Controller
4. Batteries
5. Meter (still optional but invaluable)
6. DC Disconnect
7. Grid-Tie Inverter
8. Yet again- a lot of wire